


Brick Walls

by Patrocool (all_the_homo)



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: As much comfort as andeew gets, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not really fluff but not really angst either?, Panic Attacks, Well - Freeform, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 20:16:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7546317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_the_homo/pseuds/Patrocool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neil has a panic attack, and Andrew takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brick Walls

Andrew was observent, to say the least.

But of course he was, how couldn't he be with an idiot like Neil fucking Josten to look after?

He noticed immediately that something wasn't right, though, after he picked Neil up from one of his classes. He wasn't saying anything stupid, for one, and it was hard to tell, but his middle fingers were shaking. He gave him a few seconds to see if he could recover, but it only resulted in a slightly stuttered breath.

That was enough to know that he needed to do something.

Glaring at anyone who even glanced in their direction, he took a hold of Neil's neck and dragged him behind one of the stairwells of the old brick buildings. He cornered him in, carefully pulling Neil down into a crouching position and pushed his head between his knees, completely surrounding him.

"Neil," he said, and that was really all he needed to. It was enough to let Neil know that he was safe, and who was there with him.

In front of him, Neil's breaths got sharper and more frequent. His entire body was shaking now, and Andrew hated seeing him like this, stupidly enough.

He hated a lot of things about Neil, but seeing him like this was one of the things he hated most.

Drastic times called for drastic measures, it seemed. He inwardly rolled his eyes at himself.

"Abram," he tried again, keeping his hand on the back of his neck to steady him.

("When you have a panic attack-"

"I'm not going to have a panic attack, Andrew, I'm-"

"I swear, if you say I'm fine, I'm gonna cut out your tongue. When you have a panic attack, and don't argue with me, because you will have one at some point, do you want me to touch you or make sure you're not touched?"

"... It helps when I know you're there. So, I guess if I'm unresponsive, yeah.")

The name got a shift from the auburn haired male, and he took a deep breath.

"Abram," he repeated. "You're with me, just outside of the science building at Palmetto State University."

Another shift and a stuttered, slower breath.

"Abram," he said again. "I don't care what you think right now, but at this moment, you're safe. I keep my promises."

Neil pressed into his chest, and Andrew let him. He trusted Neil, and he needed the contact right now.

"Riko is dead. Your father is dead. Your mother is dead. Its just you and I and this brick wall." He listed it off in his usual bored tone, but his thumb was running little circles in the base of his head. 

"Abram, are you listening to me? Focus on my breathing." He took exaggerated breaths just to prove his point. Neil seemed to respond better to that, and slowly his breathing got stronger.

He resisted the urge to sigh, and kept going instead until Neil was able to look up at him and really see Andrew. The blonde watched with a blank face, waiting for the words he knew was coming. 

"I-I'm f-"

"Don't." His tone left no room for arguments as he slowly stood, careful not to startle him. He dug his cigarettes out of his pocket and offered them to Neil, who plucked one from the box. He lit both of them and leaned against the building, letting Neil take his time to recover. 

After a few minutes, Neil stood shakily. "Thanks," he said quietly, clearly not expecting a response. Andrew watched him carefully, going through a mental checklist of things that signalled Neil wasn't okay. Besides his exhaustion and shakiness, nothing stood out. 

"Come on," he muttered, putting out the butt of his cigarette with his heel. "That was your last class."

He started walking towards their dorms, not bothering to check to see if Neil was following. He could survive one day without going to afternoon practice, and he needed the break, Kevin be damned.

And if they ended up napping in the same bed, with nothing but a few inches between them, that was their business alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! If you leave a suggestion, I might fill it. Thanks for reading:)


End file.
